I'll go with your original intent. My favorite pet to have around is a cat, so I'd go with that. I used to like dogs a bit more a long time ago, but now I just find cats to generally be a bit more refined. I can jump high, run fast, and and look cute at the same time, heh heh. While my favorite non fictional, not fantasy animal is the water bear, I would hate to live as one. Cats are generally well-loved and they have good eating and drinking mannerisms, unlike dogs, which is more like me. I tend to eat a bit more gently rather than attack my food. I have gobs of cats over here and I just love spending time with them. If I had to be animal, I would love to join their ranks.